Fence wire staple leg clamping tool



Se t. 17, 1957 u. E. MOTL FENCE WIRE STAPLE LEG CLAMPING TOOL Filed Sept. 22, 1955 INVENTOR uRa-A/v 5. Mon,

ATTORN'EY United States This invention relates to a fence wire staple leg clamping tool for applying wire staples to a fence post, and it more particularly relates to a hand operated tool of the above type.

Generally, it has, heretofore, been the custom, when securing a wire fence to metal T-shaped posts, to place a staple around the post and use a pair of pliers to bend the staple into clamping position.

This is a slow and tiresome procedure and there have, heretofore, been various attempts made to solve this problem by providing a mechanical stapler to bend the staples in place. All such stapling machines, however, have proved either incapable of successfully applying the staples, or have been so complex in structure and so difficult to repair when damaged, that they have not been commercially practicable.

It is one object of the present invention to overcome the above and other disadvantages by providing a fence wire staple leg clamping tool capable of easily and efiiciently stapling a wire fence to a metal post.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a fence wire staple leg clamping tool that is simple in construction and operation and which has relatively few parts easily subject to damage or disrepair.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an improved fence wire staple leg clamping tool, of the character described, that is easily and economically produced, Which is sturdy in construction and which is highly eflicient in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a device embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the device of Fig. 1 in its inoperative position.

Fig. 3 is a view of the device, similar to Fig. 2, but showing the device in operative position.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, detailed, sectional view of the working portion of the device, taken on line 44 of Fig. 1.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawing wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts, there is shown a fence wire staple leg clamping tool, generally indicated at 10, which comprises a stem 12 having a forked portion 14 at one end thereof. At the opposite end of the stern there is provided a lever 16 pivotally connected to the stem 12 by a tongue 18 which extends into a slot 20 in the end of the stem and is pivotally connected thereto by a pivot pin 22.

The lever 16 is also pivotally connected to a bar 24 positioned below the stem 12, this pivotal connection being effected by a link 26 pivotally connected to the lever 16 at 28, and to the bar 24 at 30.

The front end of the bar 24 is provided with a forked section 32 underlying the forked portion 14. Each arm of the fork 32 is notched at its upper front edge, as at atent v 34. These notched arms of the fork 32 each forms a rack which meshes with the notches 36 of a multiple staple leg bending members 38 pivotally connected to each arm of the fork 14, as by a pivot pin 40. The notches36 on the staple leg bending members 38 are formed in an arcuate plane so that they provide the pinion portion of a rack and pinion-assembly.

Bar 24 is maintained in slidable contact with the bottom of stem 12 by the head 23 of a pin 25 extending from the bottom of stem 12 through a longitudinal slot 27 in bar 24, thus maintaining the gear and rack notches 34 and 36 in engagement.

Extending up from each arm of the fork 14 is a guide bracket 42 having a front opening notch; these guide brackets being adapted to slide over the wire 44 which is to be attached to the T-shaped fence post 46.

In operation, when a wire is to be connected to a fence post, a staple 48 is placed within the forked portion 14 and the fork is slipped over the T-post with the wire 44 engaged within the notches of the guide brackets 42 (as shown best in Figs. 1 and 2). The lever 16 is then pressed down from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 3. This forces the bar 24 forward; at which time the notched rack arms at the forked end thereof act on the pinion portions of staple leg bending members 38 to rock these arms around the pivot pins 40. As the staple leg bending members 38 pivot around, they carry the legs of the staple 43 along with them so that the legs of the staple are bent around the wire 44, as best shown in Figs. 3 and 4. This forms the connection between the wire and the post. The fence wire staple leg clamping tool is then slipped forward and down to release it from the staple.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

1 A fence wire staple leg clamping tool comprising a stem, an actuating handle pivotally mounted at one end of said stern, a forked portion at the opposite end of said stem, connecting means held in slidable contact with said stem and adapted to be moved by said actuating handle longitudinally of said stem, said connecting means pivotally being linked to said actuating handle, and pivotal staple leg bending means positioned pivotal to and between the fork members of said forked portion, said staple leg bending means being operatively connected to said connecting means for pivotal actuation thereby.

2. The machine of claim 1 wherein said connecting means includes a pair of laterally spaced racks, each being in mesh with a pinion portion of one of said staple leg bending means.

3. The machine of claim 1 wherein said actuating handle is a lever pivoted to said stem.

4. The machine of claim l wherein wire-guiding means are positioned within said forked portion.

5. A fence wire staple leg clamping tool comprising a stem, a fork at one end of said stem, an operating lever pivotally connected to the opposite end of said stem, a bar secured below said stem in slidable contact therewith and movable longitudinally thereof, a pivoted link connecting said lever to said bar at one end, said bar having a forked portion at the end thereof opposite said lever and adjacent said fork on said stern, and staple leg bending means pivotally connected to each arm of said fork on said stern, said staple leg bending abutment means being each connected to a respective arm of the forked portion of said bar for pivotal actuation thereby.

2,806,220 3 6. The machine of claim 5 wherein said arms on said References Cited in the file of this patent forked portion are racks in engagement with pinions on UNITED STATES PATENTS their respective staple leg bending means.

7. The machine of claim 5, wherein a bracket extends 2535346 Bittner 1950 up from each arm of the fork on said stern, each bracket 5 :25

having a slot therein, said brackets being aligned with each other to act as a guide for a wire extending laterally across said fork. 

